She watched the tall man with the black beard and big black stovepipe hat. He wore a black suit and stood very straight. He was the President her grand-daddy told her. Her daddy wasn’t here today because he had gone to fight the war. He never came back. Her grand-daddy said that her daddy was a hero who helped win the war. Still she wanted her daddy. Also, he was nice to everyone including the colored folks. That’s why daddy went to fight the war. He believed in this man here and the things he said.
The President had a deep voice "that we here highly resolve these dead shall not have died in vain; that the nation shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people by the people for the people, shall not perish from the earth."
"Ireland serves neither King nor Kaiser. We need to fight for our own freedom. They are recruiting women to fight alongside the men. We can carry pistols and dispatches for our countrymen. Who will go with me?" The other five women in the small room looked about and three looked to the floor.
One with red pigtails of twenty years jumped to her feet "I’ll go with you Helena" she declared "I believe in freedom for our people." "Me too." said the fifth woman, though not as enthusiastically.
Sitting beside her new husband she tugged at her white gloves anxiously. She had not enough time to be prepared for attending the Presidential State of the Union Address. He should have given me more notice she mused as she smoothed out her dress. She felt a bit slighted that their honeymoon had been cut short for this.
She returned her attention to President Roosevelt and his speech about the Four Freedoms. "The fourth is freedom from the fear-which, translated into world terms, means a world wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor-anywhere in the world."
The attic was cramped with about a dozen of them. Here they hid like animals trying to survive. Outside they heard planes drone above them. In the deepest recesses of the night they would hear the sirens braying loudly warning of incoming bombers on their way. Then they’d feel the ground shake as bombs fell far away. When their ears would literally pop from the shrills they knew they were nearby. Then the house, whose attic they hid in, would shake. As did their bones and teeth from fear and the cold, not just from the bomb’s aftermath. What’s that now? God no! Hands grabbing at everyone, yanking them from the attic. "No! Let go! Ow!"
"Run!" a woman’s voice shouted.
"..that freedom can be the future of every nation." Click.
"Hey Steve, I was watching that."
"Bush is full of shit." I don’t want him on my t.v. If you want to watch him go somewhere else."
"Fine!" She grabbed her dark woolen coat and red scarf and bundled herself up. Grabbed her purse and keys, slamming the door behind her. Walking the half block in the chilly November air, tears threatened to spill from her eyes. Opening the pub door she was greeted by the odor of cigarette smoke.
"A Bud" she told the bartender as she sat upon the stool and watched the Presidential Address continue. She slid him a couple of one dollar bills before he could say a word. "The advance of freedom is the calling of our time; it is the calling of our country. From the Fourteen Points to the Four Freedoms, to the Speech at Westminster, America has put our power at the service of principle." "Another?" the bartender asked as she guzzled the Bud down. She nodded and pushed a few more singles out for him as he placed another in front of her.
She turned her attention back to the t.v."...we believe that freedom -- the freedom we prize -- is not for us alone, it is the right and the capacity of all mankind. (Applause.) Working for the spread of freedom can be hard. Yet, America has accomplished hard tasks before. Our nation is strong; we're strong of heart. And we're not alone. Freedom is finding allies in every country; freedom finds allies in every culture. And as we meet the terror and violence of the world, we can be certain the author of freedom is not indifferent to the fate of freedom."
She felt something warm and sticky upon her cheek. She wiped at it with her sleeve. Finding it to be blood. Smoke stung at her eyes. Someone grabbed her arm and helped her to her feet. She looked back and saw the Paratrooper. Using his ray gun he pointed to the right. Above the din she heard him shout "Run to-"
"Free---dom!" Tess turned looking around cautiously into the graying dimness of the stark room. Did someone say the word or had the word crept through her own mind? No, she couldn't allow it. He would see her thoughts. He always could tell. She wasn't good at hiding anything from him. That's why he could control her so well. She placed her hands over her ears and slid her back down the wall. Dropping to the cold concrete floor. Tears trickled down her face. No! She mustn't! No tears, no emotion. He played on all that. He used it all against her. No more, no more. She slumped over in total exhaustion and slept.
"I may have found the common thread in her time travels lately, Sir."
"Well, Lieutenant Xin What is it? Don’t keep me waiting. You know what happens to men who do!"
"Sorry Sir. I believe that they all have to do with Freedom."
"Freedom? Freedom? What are you trying to tell me Lieutenant?"
"Sir, Freedom means the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints. It also means immunity from an obligation or duty."
"Where would she get this idea about Freedom and why? She’s a time-traveler!" Lord Cappalla slammed his fist into the table’s console and stormed out. The silver doors slid open then shut upon his exit.
Lieutenant Xin looked around the table at Corporal Pierre and 2nd Lieutenant Venne. "We need to destroy her. She is no longer of any use."
"Excuse me Sir. But wouldn’t it be easier to just send her off without a retrieval to someplace?" asked Corporal Pierre.
"Excellent idea Corporal. Do it, but don’t forget to remove her chip first."
The Corporal and 2nd Lieutenant stood gave nods toward Lieutenant Xin then left for their assignment. "Do we remove the chip tonight or in the morning then?" asked Venne
"Let’s wait till morning. She’s asleep now anyways." replied Pierre.
"Dinner then at my place?" smiled Venne
"Not till this is over." answered Pierre
"Oh, right." Venne replied flatly not showing her dejection.
The next morning, in the lab, Pierre and Venne oversaw as Dr. Zaghn removed the chip from Tesszalda.
"She’s ready for deportation" the Dr. stated as he went about closing the incision with the laser. "She’ll sleep for another two hours. So you have time now if you wish to finish with the business." He turned back to putting away his instruments.
Pierre and Venne transported Tesszalda from the lab in a portable cubicle to the transport room.
"Where to?" Venne asked Pierre.
"Who cares. Just turn the dial and zap her out into space somewhere. Then she’s no longer any of our worries." He replied brusquely.
"As you wish." Venne did as instructed.
Whirl.....whoooosh.
"Grandma, what year was it? How did they fall into the Ohio River?"
"Henry, my turn. My turn Grandma. What did President Lincoln say again? That’s my favorite part. What did he say about your book when he met you? Please tell it again. Please. Oh pleeeze" Mary pleaded.
"One at a time, my dears" she clucked at her two grand-children. Henry, it was the year Nineteen-hundred-and-thirty-eight Eliza fell into the Ohio River because it cracked beneath them. The water drenched her and the baby in it’s icy fingers. Mary dear, don’t you ever tire of hearing that story?" She looked upon the child’s black pigtails swaying back and forth as she shook her head no.
Sighing she continued. "It was around the beginning of the Civil War when I met President Abraham Lincoln. He was a big figure of a man, tall and lean with a big black stovepipe hat. My son Charles claimed that President Lincoln looked down at me with his coal nugget eyes and said, "so this is the lady who started the great war!" I don't recall the incident,but Charles was with me. If it was said, it is a terrible accusation to put on anyone. True, my book, Uncle Tom's Cabin, did stir up the hornet's nest, but the seeds of unrest were planted and a nation had been the harvest before it had been written."
"Grandma, one more question. What do you think was the secret password for the Underground Railroad?" asked Mary.
"It was a secret. It also changed frequently." Harriet looked upon her two grandchildren with loving pride. "I will tell you though that those who worked the Underground Railroad had a belief. Actually two words that summed up what they wanted for all people and that’s---destination, freedom."
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